Brake-hanger support



June 8 1926. 1,588,181

F. s. `GALLAGHER BRAKE HANGER SUPPORT Filed Feb. 19, 1925 Patented .lune 8, 1926.

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' f BRAKE-HANGER surron'r.

` Application', filed `February f Thev invention relatesto trucks-for rail Way cars,v and has particularly to do with the m'annerl of pivotally attaching the upper ends of bra-ke hangers to truck frames.

i As is well known, brake hangers are used to suspend brake beams `from truck-frames,`-t`he beamsbeingfattached to the' lower ends of Y the hangersfand the upper ends of the hangers being pivotally attached iniXed positions to truck frames. Through a suitable system of levers connecting the beams with piston rods of brake cylinders the vbeams are swung to apply their attached' brake shoes to the truck wheels.'-"' 'Y Itis alsowell known that in servicev 'raill way lcar wheels decrease in radius frompone andfa yhalft'o one' and three-'quarter inches 1.3. from the firme Service until they are condemned for replacement ,or'retiringf Thisdiminution in radius is 'all incidentalito wear,'although part may be direct wearand "part be turning down because of uneven Wear. Because the upper ends of the brake `hangers are supported in fixed positions, that is to say on fixed pivot axes, this variati-onlin the radii of wheels makes corresponding variations in the required movements of brake beams for applying the brakes. Hence, when a pair of wheels are worn down to a considerable extent, there is a delay in the application of the brakes, and, if the stroke of the brakeapplying l.piston rod is sufficient to take care of the requiredincrease in the throw of the brake beam, the full movement ofl the beam will not apply to the brakes.

The object of this invention is to provide railway trucks in which the position of the pivotal attachment of the upper ends of brake hangers may be varied to, compensate for the wear on truck wheels so that adequate braking pressure may be promptly applied to the Wheels after they have become worn, as Well as when they are new.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of'which Fig. l is an elevation of a porti-on. of a `railway car truck; Fig. 2 a plan view of ,af portion of the truck shown in Fig. `l; Fig.- 3 a vertical sectional view to enlarged'scale taken on the line III-III, Fig. 2,''showing the attachment of a brake hanger to the frame; and Fig. 4 a vertical sectional View taken on the line yIV-IV', Fig. 3. I L

In the practice ofthe invention provision 19, 1925: 'seriai- No. r10,342` i is made foriattaching the upper Aend ofa brake hanger to a truckframe in various adjustable positions so that when the rim `ortire of the wheel becomessmallerthe moved to compensate for such wear.

GALLAeHnn, Dnonnsnn, LATE or'ioivknns, jyonxj; n'Y' sAnIn E. GALLAGHER, nxncurnrmjor yoivxnns, VNEW YORK.' f y Having reference tothe illustrative embodiment of the invention, a truck frame l is shown as being providedy with a .wheel 2, and as havingafbrake beam 3 pivotally f attached to itby a closed link brake hanger ll,y the `brake beam beingprovided with a shoe 5. The brake. hanger 'maybe of any desired form of construction, and is not necessarilyfof the closed'k 4link type. pivotal'ly attaching `the upper `end of the brake hanger to thetruck` frame in such a mannerthat the pivotal aXis may be adjusted in the manner stated, the frame is preferably provided with a bracket6'having a' pluralityl of horizontally disposed openastirrup, the closed end of which forms a bearing for the `upper end vof the brakev hanger. Preferably bracket 6 is oE-set in the manner illustrated particularly in Fig. et, the upper portion of the bracket projecting beyond its lower portion, a horizontally disposed opening 10 vbeing provided in the fupper portion of the bracket, a similar opening 1l in the lower portion, and a similar opening `12 at the juncture of these portions. These openings may conveniently be spaced at uniform Vertical intervalsy so that the legsfS and 9 of the brake hanger stirrup` may be arranged iny any two adjacent openings. Manifestly the bracket may have an increased number of 01E-sets to provide for a wider range of horizontal and vertical adjustment of the pivot axis Aof the brake hanger. For attaching the 'stirrup to bracket 6 `the legs of the stirrup and the walls ofthe bracket which form its horizontally` `disposed stirrup-receiving openings may be provided with a plurality of registering vertically-disposed holes 7 adapted to receive a cotter pin 13 or other suitable connecting member.

When the truck wheels vare new and unworn the hanger-attaching stirrup is ar- For ,suv

pivot point of the hanger is in a proper j position to so suspend the brake beam that it maybe promptly and sufi'ciently moved to apply the brakes, In this position of the Stirrup, pin 13 is arranged in the loinF receiving holes 7 nearer to the inner end ofthe bracket. After thetruok Wheels have. become considerablyworn, the stirrup may be placed in the upper two horizontal openings l() and l2 of the bracket, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and the Cotter pin inserted in the holes 7 which are more ref mote from the inner end of the bracket and nearer towheel 2. By so changing the .poT sition of vthe stirrup the pivot axis of the brake hanger is adjusted vertically upward,- ly'and horizontally outward-1y to Suspend vthe brake beam closer to the Wheels and nearer to the proper anguler position of Vthe truck Wheels :for `the most effective applia.- tion kof the brakes,

According to the provisions ofthe potent statut-esj, I have explained the prnoplo end operation of my inventiom and beve illusT tratefd and described what I now` eollder to be its best embodiment, However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended Claims, .the inyention maybe preoteed by other forms of C011:- struoton than those particularly illustrated and described. f

I claim ,as my invention:

l, In ,a railway truck, the .combination of a truck frame provided with wheels, a henger supporting e brake at its lower end, eed

Linge of the Abracketmeans for etteoling the .er eed of the 1 to compensate 4for Wear on the truck wheels.

2, In a railway truck, the combination of a truck frame provided with wheels, a hanger lsupporting ,a brake at its lower end, a braeketfattached to said frame and provided with e ,plurality .of speoed epee-ings ,for rattaching the upper oedlof seid henger verous positions whereby thev position of Seid brake may Joe yered with 1l*.eletloe to lther frame lto compensate for weer on the truck wheels, n e. .3. ,In e .red-wey truck, the oombeetioeof a truck frame provided with wheels; .e henger Supporting Jore'ko @site .lower fend, breoket ette-oiled to seid ,treme eed lord vided with e plureltyof horizontellyde posed openings epeoed vertically et milione intervals ,with reletoe to eeoh other, e

stirrup engaging the .upper .of paidk henger, end ymeans for etteobe seid. .Stirrepv te, sadnbreolet' with the .of the Stip-pup arranged 1an any two edJeoee-t opee- 111, teetmoey whereof, l Sige my neme,-

' SADIIE QALLAGHEB, Ewooutrde .of the Las?? Will and hemmen? of Fredmzek, d. Gallegher, Lleeeeeed. 

